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Review: Strong acting in 'The Foreigner' keep it lively and funny Appearing in "Foreigner" at Camelot Theatre are, from left, Shirley Patton, Erny Rosales and Beth Boulay. [Steve Sutfin photo] Sunday Apr 30, 2017 at 6:15 PM Apr 30, 2017 at 8:59 PM By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings "The Foreigner" by Larry Shue has been a 30-plus year favorite of the theater, and with good reason. Well written, with excellent language and a highly original plot, it's always an enjoyable show to see. Camelot's version of this hallowed play is no exception, with humor and folksiness writ large against the background of a crumbling resort lodge in small town Georgia. When Charlie (Erny Rosales) arrives at the resort, his inherent shyness is multiplied by the fact that he is in a state of chronic depression, having been cuckolded yet again by his wildly promiscuous wife. At the urging of his friend, Froggy (John Richardson), a plummy British explosives expert (you can see where this is going) he is encouraged, as a mechanism for solitude, to pretend that he is a foreigner who can't speak a word of English. So begins a comedic odyssey in which Charlie, surrounded by assorted well-meaning but provincial characters, becomes increasingly trapped by his own transgressions. Forced to mime his way through most of the play until one of the locals manages to "teach" him English, Charlie is accosted variously by Betty (Shirley Patton), the aging and folksy owner of the inn; Catherine (Beth Boulay), a frisky heiress with a problem marriage; David (Dan Harvey), her manipulative pastor husband with a scheming personality; Ellard (Zaq Wentworth), Catherine's slow-witted brother, and, most problematically, Owen (Jeff Mercer), a local redneck with Klan sympathies. It's odd that this is an American play, because it has all the hallmarks of a classic doorbanger of the British stage. There are plenty of misunderstandings, upstairs/downstairs shenanigans, and, of course, the inevitable arrival of men in sheets. Plots and subplots are hatched, with Charlie presiding over all of the intrigue as the "safe" émigré who can't possibly know what's being discussed. These kinds of shows are usually reduced to corny mush over a period of a couple of hours, but with Roy Von Rains, Jr. directing and some strong performances, "The Foreigner" stays lively and funny for the duration. This is thanks in no small part to Rosales, whose performance is excellent. For the first two thirds of the play, he has few lines, but he conveys everything about his character in a sort of deranged Kabuki style that is really fun to watch. Rosales has a gift for highly stylized comedy; He winces and cringes his way through some great moments. Watching him tell a "story" in his "native language" to an enraptured onstage audience towards the end of the play is one of the funniest things I've yet seen at Camelot. The other standout performer of the night was Shirley Patton as Betty, the somewhat bewildered but well-meaning patroness of the inn at which Charlie is staying. Patton is a 30 year veteran of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and an AEA level actor, and that certainly shows up in her portrayal. Her unbridled incredulity is a complete riot to watch. Good-natured attempts at understanding her guest turn into outsized gestures of earnest sincerity. Betty's own need for validation is projected onto a non-existent "understanding" she has with her new international friend, whom she accosts at every turn in an attempt to be helpful. Patton is no spring chicken, and her energy and professionalism onstage are a credit to her colleagues. Jeff Mercer has some excellent, if terrifying, moments as the stereotypical angry, confused, Southern white man, and Zaq Wentworth is engaging as the endearing halfwit. The rest of the cast does their job well, and the result is a tightly wound, raucous night of theater that is well worth the price of admission. Needless to say, all's well that ends well by the time the curtain drops on "The Foreigner." — Ashland resident Jeffrey Gillespie is a Daily Tidings columnist, arts reviewer and freelance writer. Email him at [email protected].